The attack of Francis Drake against Cartagena in 1586
After the English pirate
Hawkins, another English invader visited Cartagena de
Indias, whether Sir Francis Drake. The new noble title (Sir) was
accorded by queen Elizabeth of England, in recognition of his
adventure in the New World and Drake was the second men in the
world to do so and also to have pillaged Spanish colonies in the
Pacific.
Drake arrived to Cartagena de Indias with a powerful fleet and a
well-dressed army. They penetrated at night through Bocagrande
and then got to Punta del Judio (which is now the Naval club).
Another team tried entering by the Bay of Animas, but a chain of
floating barrels closed the route at the height of the Fort de
Boqueron, today is named the
Fort San Sebastian
del Pastelillo.
Drake then continued on the peninsula of Bocagrande (not
protected before) and got to the rampart of Santo Domingo (actually),
he met a resistance, but in morning he captured the city. The
English started to negotiate with the authorities of Cartagena
de Indias, which went to refuge in the neighbouring village of
Turbaco.
To put pressure on the negotiators, Drake started to burn at
least two hundred houses in Cartagena until the authorities paid
according to the deal. And during this time, Drake found amongst
papers of the governor, a warning letter of the arrival of
Drake. Fired, the English gave the order to destroy the top of
the Cathedral
in construction with a canon fire.
Finally, before this destruction, the authorities of Cartagena
de Indias paid an amount of 107.000 gold badges. Drake also took
jewelry, the city bells and artillery pieces.
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